


Wave The White Flag

by shopfront



Category: Grimm (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Developing Relationship, Episode Related, Flirting, Getting to Know Each Other, Multi, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-03
Updated: 2018-06-03
Packaged: 2019-05-08 08:27:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14690268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shopfront/pseuds/shopfront
Summary: Nick might be single, but he thought he had a nice little life going. He seemed to be catching the more straight forward cases at work, he got along with his partner, and he kept seeing a cute redhead hanging around the station who he was slowly getting up the nerve to say hello to.Then his Aunt Marie comes back to town, a kid goes missing, and everything starts to fall apart. Unless someone, or maybe two someones, can help him piece it all back together again.





	Wave The White Flag

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Trobadora](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trobadora/gifts).



> Thank you to A for the beta!

“Hey Hank, I’ll catch up,” Nick said as they entered the police station. Hank furrowed his brow as he followed Nick’s line of sight. But his face cleared quickly when he realised what, or rather who, Nick was looking at.

“Yeah, yeah,” he said with a laugh as he clapped Nick on the back before continuing into the station. “Don’t take too long, I’m not doing your paperwork for you today!”

Nick just waved him off with a scoff and slowed to a stop. A few steps away from him, a young woman brushed hair out of her face and looked back at him curiously.

“Can I help you with anything?” Nick asked. He put his hands in his pockets and smiled, rocking back on his heels.

The woman tilted her head at him silently for a moment before she smiled back. “No, I’m okay.”

“Are you sure?” Nick asked as he closed the gap between them a little. “This isn’t the first time I’ve seen you here. Are you waiting for someone to be processed? I’m a detective, maybe I can help speed things up a little for you.”

A small laugh escaped the woman, though she looked like she was trying to hold it in. “I really am fine,” she said. “Thank you though.”

She looked back down at her phone as soon as she’d finished speaking. Nick shrugged and backed off, his smile dimmed a little. “Alright, fair enough. But if you change your mind, my name’s Nick Burkhardt. The front desk can reach me anytime.”

The woman looked up again to smile and nod, but her attention was entirely engrossed again by her phone and she didn’t offer a name in return. Sighing, Nick scrubbed a hand through his hair and began to head after Hank. But when he looked back over his shoulder, he caught the woman eyeing him speculatively. A smile still lurked at the corners of her mouth and she looked amused when Nick locked eyes with her again as he left.

“Well that’s a definite spring in your step. Did you finally get her number?” Hank asked as Nick entered the room.

Nick grimaced and ducked his head sheepishly. “I didn’t even get her name,” he admitted.

“Seriously? You’ve been mooning after her for a long time, man. Somehow, I doubt she’s going to hang out in the waiting area forever just so you can find your nerve.”

Nick shoved Hank’s feet off his desk. “Shut up. Come on, if we don’t get that paperwork finished, Captain Renard really is never letting us leave this station again.”

*

“I dunno, Nick. Forensics have already combed through the park twice. I don’t think there’s anything left to spot,” Hank said. He hesitated a moment before continuing. “You sure you’re not just avoiding going back to the hospital?”

“What?” Nick asked. Hank held his hands up in front of him when Nick frowned deeply. “No, of course not. They told me to clear out because she needed to rest.”

“Alright. I’m just saying, you look tired. It’s gotta be hard taking care of your aunt on your own. If you need someone to help out you can call me, y'know. Anytime.”

Nick sighed. “Yeah, I know. Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it. But seriously, there’s nothing else to see out here. I’m gonna call it a day and go find myself a diner or something and grab a bite, you wanna join me?”

“Nah, I might keep looking around,” Nick said as he waved him off. Hank raised his eyebrows skeptically. “Not all night, jeez. Stop looking at me like that.”

Hank shrugged and turned away. “I’m just saying. If you’re avoiding, I’m not gonna judge,” he said over his shoulder. “But for the love of God, go home eventually!”

“Sure thing, Mom,” Nick yelled after him. He kicked at a pile of leaves as Hank’s footsteps finally faded away, leaving an eerie silence in his wake. For what was normally a busy park, there was a conspicuous lack of either people or wildlife hanging around. They were probably just scared off by cops tramping through the undergrowth all week, but that didn’t make the quiet feel any less creepy.

Maybe Hank was right and Nick should just head home. Or to the hospital. Before he could make up his mind either way, Nick spotted something red moving in the distance.  It was deeper in, towards the centre of the park, and already partially obscured among the trees.

“Hello?” he called. When there was no answer, he started off at a slow jog after it. “Is someone there?”

There was no response other than the sudden crunch of leaves ahead of him. Nick broke into a run, his hand going to his holster as he mentally cursed Hank for bailing. When he burst through the tree-line into a small clearing, however, he pulled up short. On the other side of the clearing a familiar looking young woman was slipping a red hood back off her head.

“You’re-" Nick started to say. The woman’s eyes widened in recognition. But before he could finish his sentence, she was suddenly blocked from Nick’s line of sight.

Instead, Nick was staring up at an ugly face. He startled backwards for a second as it leered at him, quickly taking in the height of the creature and the inhuman stretch of its jaw. Then it turned towards the woman, so that all Nick could see was its profile and the mottled, rotting skin covering an eye and one side of its face.

But that was all that Nick had needed to see to identify it. It looked like that lawyer. The Hexenbiest. And it was between Nick and the young woman from the station waiting room, and advancing on her fast.

Nick raised his gun. “Get away from her!”

“No, wait, I don’t think-" the woman started to say. She reached out a hand towards Nick, but kept her eyes on the creature which gave a low growl as it moved closer to her.

“Stop where you are! I know what you are, Hexenbiest, and I will shoot!” Nick tried again. He started moving around the edge of the tree-line to try and get a clearer shot, one without the woman in the same line of sight.

Both the Hexenbiest and the woman froze. They looked at each other and then back to Nick. Then the creature shuddered and its hideous appearance melted away.

“Okay, even I know that’s wrong,” the woman said. She pulled a face as she stared at Nick incredulously.

But Nick barely heard her. The face that had emerged from under the Hexenbiest’s grotesque appearance was familiar. It was-

“Captain Renard?” Nick asked. His mouth dropped open and his gun wavered for a moment. But only for a moment. “Get away from her, I won’t repeat myself again!”

“Nick, wasn’t it?” the woman asked. Then, before Nick’s stunned eyes, she placed a hand on the Captain’s arm and tried to tug him aside so she could see Nick clearly. “I’m okay, you can put the gun away. I’m not in any danger.”

“Burkhardt. Well, this is unfortunate,” Renard muttered as he refused to be moved. “He’s a Grimm, Juliette. Stay behind me.”

But she didn’t seem interested in staying anywhere. Juliette ducked under Renard’s arm, slipping past him until she stood between them with a hand outstretched towards each as if she could fend them both off.

“I know this probably doesn’t make any sense to you, but you need to get away from him right now. He's dangerous. I’m a detective, you can trust me,” Nick said. He shifted on his feet slightly and Renard made a deep sound in his throat, his face rippling once more.

“Down, boys. Put that away,” Juliette said. She gestured at Nick’s gun with one hand and then also gestured at Renard’s face with the other. “You, too! I mean it!”

Nick gaped.

“You can see that?” he asked.

“No, of course I can’t see it. At least not right now, but I know what that expression on his face means,” Juliette replied with a huff and an eyeroll. “Seriously, you can put the gun down already. Sean isn't going to hurt me. He’s the person I’m always waiting for at the station, dummy.”

“What- But- Are you…?” Nick stuttered to a stop, frowning deeply. Then he shifted again so that he could aim his gun at both of them.

Renard bared his teeth and started forward a step. Juliette pressed her hand firmly against his chest, only a flimsy attempt to keep him back as far as Nick could see but somehow it worked. Renard was still bristling, but he seemed restrained. Barely.

“Am I a Hexenbiest?” Juliette asked. Nick’s eyes flicked back to her, and found her with one eyebrow raised and a smirk. “No. I’m entirely human. Thank god. He’s not a Hexenbiest either, by the way. You’re really bad at this, huh?”

Nick breathed deep for a moment, considering them. “Just tell me where the girl is and I’ll let you both go,” he tried to bargain.

“The- oh for God’s sake,” Juliette said. But Renard spoke over her before she could get any further, drowning out her complaints.

“You really should leave, Detective,” he said through gritted teeth. “We're looking for the girl as well and we don't need your assistance.”

“Oh, really?” Nick asked. He cocked both his gun and his head sarcastically. “You expect me to believe you're going to rescue her? With that face?”

“As if you're the only person working with the cops who’s more than human,” Juliette interrupted, glaring at them both. “Is that really such a surprise? Maybe if you’d both stop threatening each other for five seconds, you’d realise we’re on the same side here. Look at me,” she said, pausing to tug at her red hoodie and draw Nick’s attention to it. “I’m dressed like the victims were to try and draw out the kidnapper. Does that sound like the tactics of people who took her in the first place?”

“I-,“ Nick started to say, frowning.

"You're out of your depth here, Detective," Renard said. Nick's eyes darted back to Renard's, and found that instead of glaring he was now watching Nick with a contemplative look in his eyes. Nick clenched his jaw. But then Juliet huffed and threw her hands in the air, startling them both out of their staring competition.

“Look, it’s getting late. You might both have… whatever super powers you both have, but I sure as hell can’t see in the dark,” she said. "I don't want to risk breaking my neck finding my way out of here after the sun goes down completely."

“None of the other attacks happened at night, either,” Renard pointed out. Nick pulled a face but nodded in agreement and lowered his gun slightly.

"Finally," Juliet said in exasperation as she stepped back from Nick and closer to Renard. "This little song and dance seems to have ruined any chance we have of tricking them into showing themselves today, then. So how about we go our separate ways, yeah?”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Nick said, but he holstered his weapon as he said it. Though he didn’t let his hand stray far or let his eyes move away from where Renard and Juliette stood. “How do I know you’re really going to leave?”

“I could just make it an order,” Renard said flatly. “Or have you forgotten who you work for?”

Nick pointed a finger angrily at Renard and opened his mouth, but Juliette snapped at him before he could start yelling.

“Yeah, yeah, you don’t want to leave me alone with him, right? Worried about my safety?” she asked.

When Nick grudgingly nodded, she folded her arms and glared.

“Well, tough. That’s not up to you. Besides, you know where to find him if anything happens to me," she said. Something in his face must have given away that he wasn't willing to take that chance, because her expression softened. "How about this - you meet me for coffee first thing tomorrow at that little place with the green tables near the station. I’ll come alone so you can check that I’m okay, and the two of _us_ can talk without the two of _you_ doing whatever this is all over again in a place where other people can see it. Sound good?”

Renard didn’t look any happier with the idea than Nick did at the thought of leaving them alone in the park. But he didn’t protest, so Nick didn’t either.

“What’s your name? Your full name,” Nick asked before he agreed.

Juliette snorted. “Juliette Silverton. And I live with him, if my address was going to be your next question. So there, you know where to look for me if I don’t show up tomorrow. Happy?”

“Not really,” Nick said. But he glanced up at the darkening sky and then down at his watch. Juliette seemed calm to him, and like she knew what she was talking about. Hank was right that he probably needed to drop by the hospital again, and now it was even more urgent. He hadn’t found anything in the books about humans associating with Wesen. Not yet, anyway. But maybe Marie would have more answers for him, if she was awake. “But okay, fine, have it your way.”

“Finally,” Juliette replied, throwing her hands up.

“Watch your back, Grimm,” Renard’s voice drifted after him as Nick began to walk back into the trees. He looked over his shoulder just in time to see Juliette smack Renard lightly on the chest.

“Seriously?” she asked, her voice faint enough that it was only barely carried to Nick by the breeze. But she was chuckling and Renard’s body curved protectively towards her, even as his eyes watched for Nick's reaction and followed his progress out of the clearing.

Nick didn’t like it, and he didn’t understand it. But he didn’t think he was leaving her in danger, either. Even if there was a Wesen by her side.

*

Nick thought he had a decent poker face. It had been well honed by interrogations, for one thing. Plus, he had more motivation than usual to hide his surprise when Juliette actually showed up at the coffee shop the next morning. But Juliette still laughed at him as she walked over from the counter.

“Didn’t expect to see me in one piece?” she asked as she settled her mug and a small paper bag on the table in front of him.

Nick held his hands up in surrender as she sat down. “Guilty as charged,” he admitted.

“He’s really not a bad guy,” Juliette said. She shifted in her seat until she was comfortable, then took a long sip of her drink with a happy noise. “You’ve been working for him for awhile now, right? So you should know that about him.”

“Guess I didn’t know who I was working for as well as I thought I did. Look, I just. I don’t get it. You’re… and he’s… I mean, you’re _human_ ,” he said, dropping his voice to a whisper on the last word.

Juliette dipped her head in agreement. “I get why you're confused. I can’t say I wasn’t a little thrown - no, make that _very_ thrown - when I found out. But he’s never lied to me or kept me in the dark about any of it, and he’s never been a danger to me. Heck, I don’t even get to see the face most of the time. So he’s a little different to my past boyfriends... that’s not necessarily a bad thing.”

Nick choked lightly as he took a sip of his own coffee. “A little different?”

Juliette rolled her eyes. “Alright, a lot. But like I said, he’s a good guy.”

“A good guy who drags you into the woods to play bait for dangerous creatures?” Nick asked, his tone skeptical. Juliette just huffed and looked at him, so he raised his eyebrows pointedly instead of repeating the question.

“You totally missed the gun holster hidden under my hoodie, didn’t you?” she finally replied with a chuckle.

Nick cocked his head and hesitated. “You had a firearm last night?”

Juliette’s chuckle turned back into a fully fledged laugh. “That’s what I thought. Yes, I had a firearm. I know how to use it, too. Sean taught me not too long after I found out about all of this.”

Nick sat back in his seat and stared.

“I’m not quite what you expected all those times you walked past while silently staring at me in the station, huh?”

“No kidding,” Nick said. He drained the last of his coffee as Juliette broke off a piece of the pastry in her to-go bag and nibbled at it.

“So, I’m still in one piece. I’m also not scared, I’m not unaware of what he is, and I know how to defend myself from anyone or anything that might come knocking on his door. What else do you need to know to leave us in peace?”

Still struck speechless, Nick let out a long breath as Juliette continued to eat her pastry and watch him closely. “I… don’t know. I just, how?”

“How did I get involved? Or how did we meet?” Juliette asked.

When Nick just nodded, she dropped her eyes to the table for a moment and licked her lips free of crumbs. The corner of her mouth curled up as she sat in thought, and her eyes were crinkled at the corners when she looked back up at him.

“I guess it was when someone came busting into my clinic after hours one night," she finally said, smiling. "Oh, I’m a veterinarian, by the way. Anyway, so some crazed guy literally kicked down our door yelling about a feral animal being after him in the woods. I was working late so I was on my own and I had no idea who this guy was, so I freaked out and called 911 to ask for both the cops and animal control, just to be safe. You know, cover all my bases in case he was the dangerous one.”

“The cops, so-“

“Sean shows up, yeah,” Juliette said. Her eyes were warm but distant with memory as she continued talking. “When I worked out he was the captain and not some beat cop, I was a little confused. Which is exactly what he didn’t want me to be. It turned out that it wasn’t a feral animal, of course, it was-"

"Wesen," Nick said.

"Right," Juliette said, nodding. "Someone had gone rogue and was attacking other Wesen. Sean was trying to cover up any inconsistencies in the reports. So the nice police captain asked me out for a drink to check on me and work out what I’d seen. But then a drink turned into dinner, which turned into a few more dinners, and then I guess into something more.”

Nick wrinkled his nose. “And then he just, what? Showed you his real face and you were okay with it?”

“Kind of, yeah," Juliette said, still smiling fondly and not really looking at Nick. "I mean. I _was_ already suspicious that there was something weird going on, and he’d pretty much worked out that I wasn’t going to let it go by that point. It was a shock, sure, but I guess there was a spark between us. Something that felt real. So I gave him a chance and we took it slow."

"Seems to me like the pace would need to be glacial after that reveal," Nick said.

"Oh, I don't know," Juliette replied, finally refocusing on Nick with a serious look. "Maybe for some people. But like I said, we had a connection. I guess I sort of eased into this world without realising it, and eventually we ended up here.”

Nick examined her expression in silence for a long minute, and Juliette just sat and let him do it uninterrupted. “With you justifying your relationship to a complete stranger in a coffee shop?” he eventually asked.

“Kind of, yeah,” Juliette repeated. Nick huffed out a humourless laugh and Juliette narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re not going to make trouble for us, are you? Sean told me you’re the new Grimm in town and how that’s apparently a bad thing. I actually wasn’t sure if he was going to agree not to follow me here today. He thinks you’re dangerous. Your history together at work was the only card I could play that convinced him to back off.”

Nick furrowed his brow. “But you’re human.”

Juliette pulled a face at him. “Didn’t we cover this already, yesterday?”

“No, I mean, you’re human. I’m a Grimm. I would never hurt a human,” Nick said in exasperation. “As far as I can tell, that’s like the epitome of what it means to even be a Grimm.”

“Tell Sean that,” Juliette said a skeptical look. “From what I can gather, you’re practically the boogeyman.”

“Me?” Nick asked, his voice rising. A few people in the shop turned to stare at them and he hurriedly lowered his voice and leaned in close to Juliette. “ _I’m_ the boogeyman?”

Juliette shrugged. “Don’t ask me. But you did point a gun at me and interrupt our attempts to save a missing kid yesterday.”

Nick spluttered.

“Just calling it like I see it," she continued. "Anyway, if that’s all your questions, Detective?”

Nick stared as she gathered up the remaining pieces of her pastry and twisted the paper bag closed around them. “Wait,” he said, reaching out towards her.

“Sorry, but unless there’s something else you need I’ve really got to get to work. I’m pretty sure you do, too,” she said as she deftly slipped her hand out of reach before he could touch her.

She nodded her head towards a clock on the wall as she stood up. Nick grimaced as he followed her gaze and saw what the time was.

“You should try talking to Sean when you get in. He won’t bite," she said, and then her lips quirked. "At least, not if you don’t want him to.”

Helplessly, Nick watched as she winked and sauntered towards the exit. As she did, his phone rang. Torn, he glanced from the swinging door to his phone and back again before he answered the call.

“Yeah, Hank, hi. Sorry man, I’m running late. I’ll be right there,” Nick said before he hung up with a curse.

*

Nick kept the Captain’s office in his line of sight at all times as he walked across the bullpen. Hank blustered at him as he reached their desks, but Nick just smiled grimly and waved him off with another distracted apology.

As he did, Renard finally looked up. They locked eyes immediately through the office windows. Nick watched in surprise as Renard’s face visibly relaxed with relief at the sight of him at his desk, though a moment later his face was already blankly professional again. Nick blinked as he dipped his head in Nick’s direction, before returning to his work.

“Earth to Burkhardt. Hello?” Hank asked as he waved a hand in front of Nick’s face. Nick startled slightly and finally dropped down into his seat. “What the hell, man? How late did you stay in those woods?”

“Huh? Oh, um, not too late,” Nick said. He kicked back in his seat, still watching Renard.

Hank made an unimpressed noise. “Sure, whatever you say, man.”

Nick bounded back up. “Yeah, no, I dropped by the hospital like you suggested. Didn’t leave the woods that much after you did. Hang on a minute, would you? I want to run something by the Captain before we head out.”

Before Hank could protest, Nick clapped him on the shoulder and continued weaving his way across the room. Renard didn’t look surprised when there was a knock on his door, or when he looked up to find that it was Nick entering.

“Detective Burkhardt,” he said, waving a hand towards the seats opposite his desk as he continued tapping away on his cell phone. “Please, come on in. Close the door behind you. Juliette was just telling me how you had a lovely chat over coffee this morning.”

Nick shut the door but stayed on his feet. “Actually, she implied you tried to stop her meeting me at all."

Renard raised an eyebrow without looking up. “She did not, because I did no such thing. I merely expressed some concerns.”

Nick clenched his jaw. “Concerns about me? I would never-”

“I’m sure you wouldn’t,” Renard said in a tone that suggested he knew nothing of the sort. Finally he put his phone down and looked up, casting a wary look at the other detectives milling around in their usual morning chaos outside his office. “Please, Detective. Do make yourself comfortable. You wouldn’t want to entice the curiosity of our colleagues, now would you?”

Grudgingly, Nick pulled a seat back from the desk and sat on the edge of it. “I don’t trust you,” he said, leaning forward.

“I’m sorry to hear that. I had hoped that we had a better working rapport,” Renard said calmly. He leant forward as well and laced his fingers together atop his desk. “What would you like us to do about it?”

Nick stared back at him for a long moment. For a second he thought he saw a glint of amusement in Renard's gaze, but if it was there at all it was gone too swiftly for Nick to be sure.

“That’s what I thought," Renard said with exaggerated disappointment. "Very well then, let me be plain. I have no quarrel with you. I am also aware that most of your kind would have a problem with me on baseless principle-"

Renard paused for a moment while Nick snorted. They both waited a beat, eyes locked. Some unidentified urge rose inside Nick as they stared each other down. But he shoved the feeling back, and when he didn't interrupt further Renard continued.

"But I’m _hoping_ we can come to an arrangement," he said sharply. "One that won’t reveal either of us to any of the people out there and also won’t interfere with our continued work in this station. You’re a good detective, Burkhardt. You can close cases. I’d prefer not to lose you, if at all possible.”

“Wait, you’re worried about the department case stats?” Nick asked incredulously.

“I’m worried about what happens when someone either clueless or less scrupulous ends up in either of our chairs,” Renard said. When Nick continued to glare, Renard sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Look, I assume you’ve got some suspicions about this case you’re working on right now having a Wesen connection. Yes?"

Nick nodded reluctantly.

"Well, it might be your first Wesen case, but it almost certainly won’t be your last," Renard said. His gaze was piercing, and Nick shifted uneasily under it. "It won't matter whether or not I’m the one sitting in this office, there's been Wesen cases in Portland longer than either of us have been here. You can either work with me, or you can work against me. But only one of those options will allow you to help the largest number of people.”

“The most humans, or the most Wesen?” Nick asked sharply.

“The most _people_. There are bad Wesen just like there’s bad people, Burkhardt. It doesn’t mean we’re all like that, though, whatever your Grimm books might be telling you,” Renard said as he stood up abruptly.

Nick shot to his feet as well. “How do you know about my books?”

Renard sighed and cracked his neck. “Everybody knows about the Grimm books,” he said dryly and then gestured towards the door. “That’ll be all for now.”

Before Nick could protest, Renard crooked his fingers at something behind Nick and the office door clicked open. One of the newer detectives peered around it at them, and smiled nervously when Nick opened and shut his mouth in wordless outrage.

“If there’s nothing else, Detective?”

“No, sir,” Nick gritted out. Fuming, he slipped past the other detective and back into the bullpen. Hank was watching him, eyebrows raised and a pen dangling idly from his mouth. He made a questioning gesture and Nick sighed, forced his fists to unclench, and started making his way back across the room to get to work.

*

“You’re kidding me, right?” Hank asked when Nick told him to head home later that night. “You worked late last night in the woods, remember? Maybe it’s time to consider not burning the candle at both ends for once?"

Shrugging, Nick tried to avoid Hank's eyes but he couldn't miss the way Hank's shoulders slumped in his peripheral vision.

"Look, I get it. There’s a little girl missing and that makes me want to work around the clock as well," Hank said as he flicked off his computer screen and slipped his coat from the back of his chair. "But there’s no new leads and neither of us will be any good to her if we’re too bone tired to do our jobs. They’ve got all sorts of people pounding the pavement right now. Maybe they’ll have something for us in the morning.”

Nick made a vague noise of agreement without taking his eyes off the Captain’s office.

“Fine, I give up. You’ve been real weird all day, you know that?”

“Yeah, sorry,” Nick said with a grimace, finally breaking his stare to look over.

“Just get some damn sleep. Please. For my sake, if not your own,” Hank said as he swung his coat on and left, shaking his head and muttering to himself as he went.

Once he was gone, Nick turned back towards the Captain's office. To his surprise, he found Renard looking back at him for the first time since night had fallen. Their eyes met for a long, lingering moment. But before he could give into the temptation to react, Renard broke their staring contest to return to his work the same way he’d been doing all day.

Another few hours later, Nick was forced to admit defeat. Grudgingly, he left his desk to lurk in the shadows of the carpark, instead.

It didn’t take long after that for the Captain to emerge. Once Renard had started his car, Nick quickly slipped into his own vehicle and followed suit. He tailed Renard, staying far enough back that he nearly lost him half a dozen times before they cleared the city. Once they had, Renard turned quickly onto some heavily wooded backroads.

Frustrated, Nick flicked off his headlights and crossed his fingers. The likelihood of his going unspotted was decreasing by the second.

Ten minutes later, Renard pulled off the road and flagged Nick down.

Cursing, Nick parked as well. By the time he’d gathered his weapon and hopped out, Renard was relaxing in a languid fashion against the hood of Nick’s car.

“Going somewhere?” he asked. He looked like he was on the verge of a smile, but Nick could see the line of tension in his shoulders.

“Wherever you’re going,” Nick said, leaning against the car as well. “Where was that again?”

“Come now, Burkhardt. Do we really need a repeat of last nights conversation so soon?”

Nick frowned and mulled that over. “You’re looking for the missing girl. Out here?” he asked after a moment.

“You might say that I have reason to suspect somebody who lives nearby. Perhaps you’d care to join me for a little detective work?” Renard asked with a mocking raise of his eyebrows. When Nick didn’t stop frowning, his expression quickly shifted to a smirk. “No? I didn’t think so.”

“How about you tell me what you’re investigating, first,” Nick said as he pushed off the car and stepped forward. “And where that information came from.”

Renard came slowly out of his sprawl, every movement unhurried as if to declare his lack of concern about a Grimm aggressively pushing into his personal space. Once he was back fully on his feet, he was toe to toe with Nick; only barely avoiding brushing up against him.

“You might say I have… connections," he said as he loomed slightly. Nick sucked in a breath as he was forced to look up slightly to meet Renard's eyes. Their colour seemed to flicker, though Nick wasn't sure if it was the dim light, Renard fighting back a woge, or a side effect of Nick's pulse suddenly leaping. "The colour of the victims clothes is something of a warning flag for a particular kind of Wesen attack. They’re called Blutbaden, but I guess you’d consider them more like werewolves-”

“Like 'Little Red Riding Hood' werewolves? Are you kidding me?”

“Do I look like the sort of person who ‘kids’?” Renard asked, exasperated. “But the point is that I’ve been quietly checking out a list someone slipped me. A list of addresses where local Blutbaden live, to be more precise. This one’s a postman. He should be leaving to do his usual rounds in a few hours and then I intended to have a look around his property while he was gone.”

“And a Captain couldn’t just give a list of suspects to someone at the station to check out for him?” Nick asked, suspicion lacing his tone as he narrowed his eyes. "I find it hard to believe you do this sort of grunt work yourself all that often just because it might be Wesen. What are you up to?"

Renard glared and pressed closer. Nick was near enough now to hear a slight hitch in Renard's breathing as they brushed up against each other before he snapped back at Nick. “Normally, I don't. But there’s someone on the force these days who’d probably start asking awkward questions about where the list came from and how legitimate it was. Maybe you’ve noticed him around?”

Renard's last words were bitten out. Riled up, Nick had to fight the urge to keep arguing, despite the logic to what he said. 

“Fair enough,” Nick said grudgingly as he forced himself to fall back a little. Some of the tension slipped from Renard's shoulders as they separated. Renard's eyes didn't stray far from Nick though, and something inside Nick thrilled under the attention even as he shivered at the loss of Renard's body heat.

They stood around awkwardly for a little while before Renard finally broke the silence. “Look, before I head in there I need to know if you intend to help or just follow me around like a cranky puppy that lost its chew toy.”

“Chew toy- you know what, nevermind,” Nick said with a grimace. “I gotta be honest, I haven’t exactly met too many friendly Wesen. You’re not really giving me a reason to think you’re any different, either.”

Renard sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face. “Certainly, yes, most Wesen would probably either attack you or run from you. But I've had ample opportunity to do both, and I haven't. Nor am I going to."

“And I’m just supposed to take your word for that? That you’re special, or something?”

“You have no idea what I am,” Renard said wryly.

“Try me,” Nick said firmly, forcing himself to relax and stop glaring. He gestured to the woods around them and the dark sky above them. “You said we’ve got time to kill, right?”

Renard gave him a long look. Then he seemed to abruptly come to a decision. “I suppose you might say the Wesen part of my life has been a little out of the ordinary since my family objected to my relationship with a human," he said as he resumed his position on the hood of Nick's car.

“Juliette?” Nick asked.

“No, the other human I live with,” Renard replied with a withering look. 

Nick rolled his eyes and settled in next to him, closer than he had the first time. “Alright, alright, fine. Go on, then. I’m listening.”

*

When they re-entered the police station the next morning, it was side by side with a little girl in tow. They were greeted with cheers and the sight of a smiling Juliette in Renard’s office carrying a tray of take-away coffees.

“I got your text,” she said once they’d made their way through the crowd to her. She greeted Renard with a kiss and handed one of the coffees to a surprised Nick. “I can’t believe you got her out of there so quickly.”

“I had a little help,” Renard said with a small smile at Nick. Juliette’s eyes went wide. "It also helped that he wasn't exactly subtle. He must have caught my scent and worked out what I am, or maybe what Nick is, because he attacked us as he was leaving for the day."

"Made it easy to justify arresting him and calling for a van to hold him while we searched his house," Nick said as he shared a satisfied grin with Renard.

“Wait, wait, wait. Catch me up. You two look like you're getting along, now. Seriously? What?” Juliette asked, flinging words rapid-fire until Renard threw his head back and laughed, pulling her closer. Nick caught himself watching them both closely and ducked his head, trying but failing to drag his gaze away. “No, really, I _need_ to know how that happened!”

“We talked a little. In fact, perhaps we ought to continue our discussion over breakfast?” Renard asked Nick. Juliette looked surprised at the question, but she quickly turned to Nick with an impish grin.

“Seriously?” Nick asked, eyes wide.

“Why not?” Juliette asked. She shifted to lean against Renard, still watching Nick. “Or if you both need to sleep first, maybe we could do dinner later instead? Some nice food, a little wine, some relaxing candlelight…. The perfect setting for working out a truce. That is what you thinking, right, Sean?”

Renard nodded, his gaze also fixed unerringly on Nick.

“That sounds less like discussing a truce and more like a date,” Nick pointed out dryly. Juliette’s grin widened, and after a beat Nick’s eyebrows went up. Renard just turned his head to press a kiss against Juliette's hair, finally looking away with a chuckle. “Wait, is it-“

“That wouldn’t be appropriate, Detective Burkhardt. I’m your superior officer,” he said as he broke away from Juliette and took a seat behind his desk. But there was a speculative gleam in his eye once he was settled and looking back at Nick again.

“Oh, please,” Juliette said. “More like that wouldn’t be appropriate, Mr Zauberbiest. Because Nick’s a Grimm and might still decide to hunt you down.” She still sounded carefree and amused, but when Nick glanced over he found her giving him an assessing stare.

Nick just returned her gaze calmly. “This is all still pretty new to me, but I guess I’m open to… discussion. Also, what’s a Zauberbiest?”

Renard snorted behind his desk. “Why don’t you take the rest of the day off. Read your books, talk to - was it your aunt Detective Griffin said was in the hospital? Anyway, read, talk to whomever and do whatever you need to do. Then let us know if you’d still like to have dinner.”

“With candles!” Juliette declared with a wink. "Or breakfast."

“Or breakfast, if you prefer,” Renard agreed. Nick licked his lips as Renard spoke, and his eyes seemed to catch momentarily on Nick's mouth.

“Right,” Nick said slowly as he reached for the door. “I can do that.”

“Burkhardt,” Renard called after him. Nick paused. “Regardless of what you decide, I won’t be your enemy here.”

Nick hesitated, looking back at the two of them from the doorway. Renard's fingers were steepled under his chin as he watched Nick with an inscrutable expression, but Juliette was still smiling. “That’s… good to know,” Nick said. He hesitated again once he’d closed the door behind him, tapping a finger against his lower lip in thought.

“There’s the man of the hour!” Hank’s voice interrupted him.

“Hmm?” Nick asked, dropping his hand back down again.

“Did I just hear the Captain invite you to dinner?” Hank asked with a low whistle. “Someone’s getting promoted! What the hell did you do out there anyway, save an entire pre-school or something?”

Nick choked on a laugh and shook his head. “Yeah, we're having dinner. And you have no idea, buddy,” he said as he followed Hank back to their desks. "No idea."


End file.
